The Wilkes-Barre Wolfpack will face off against the Greater Nanticoke Area Trojans at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Wilkes-Barre's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Greater Nanticoke Area's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Wilkes-Barre and Crestwood meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Wednesday. The Wolfpack sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over the Comets. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wolfpack have posted since May 1, 2024.
Nathan Fritz spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
James Bottger
| 03/18/25 @ Pottsville | 3 |
| 04/09/25 @ Crestwood | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs North Pocono | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Dallas | 1 |
| 03/19/25 @ Wallenpaupack Area | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on James Bottger, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one double. He has become a key player for Wilkes-Barre: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Koleton Davies was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Greater Nanticoke Area can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Wednesday. They walked away with a 6-1 win over Berwick.
Derek Miller made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one double and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that he brought in this season.
In other batting news, Treyton Mishanski was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Derek Shemanski, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Wilkes-Barre's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Greater Nanticoke Area, their victory bumped their record up to 2-7.
Greater Nanticoke Area's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Wilkes-Barre has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Greater Nanticoke Area, though, as they've been averaging only 3.7 strikeouts. Will Wilkes-Barre keep running through batters, or will the Trojans buck the trend?
Wilkes-Barre beat Greater Nanticoke Area 5-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Will the Wolfpack repeat their success, or do the Trojans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
